Books & Articles: the Writing Life

Casas Grandes, Mexico Photo by Emilie Vardaman

New Mexico's Sanctuaries, Retreats and Sacred Places  (December, 2001; Westcliffe Publishers). Out of stock at your favorite bookstore, order last remaining signed copies from Christina. Living on the Spine: A Woman's Life in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (1997; 2002; Westcliffe Publishers). Out of stock at your favorite bookstore, order signed copies from Christina. At the Edge: Cooperative Teachings for Global Survival (1986) [out of print]

New Mexico's Sanctuaries, Retreats and Sacred Places

New Mexico's dramatic landscapes, diverse cultural heritage, and enduring traditions of faith have long attracted and inspired spiritual seekers. Woven into the fabric of everyday life, the state's customs of reverence set it apart as a prime location for both public celebrations and inner reflections. This is a land of ancient petroglyphs and ruins; natural wonders; historic churches, retreats, and ranches; innumerable shrines; special tribal, religious, and civic occasions; as well as singular, eerie monuments of modern technology and war. This book captures new Mexico's distinctive spirit through brilliant images and more than 100 listings showcasing the state's best opportunities for worship and meditation, awe and understanding, introspection and community participation.

Living on the Spine:  A Woman's Life in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains

At age forty, Christina left behind the traditional roles of psychotherapist, mother, and wife and moved into the mountain wilderness of Colorado. There, she built a small cabin and lived five years alone, in solitude and contemplation. This retreat was the subject of her highly acclaimed book, Living on the Spine (Papier-Mache Press, 1997) reissued in 2002.

What others say about Living on the Spine

"It is gentle, gracious and profound." Library Journal.

"Christina Nealson is the West's answer to Annie Dillard, yet Nealson's voice is so authentically her own. This is a book of eloquent witness to questions that cannot be answered, only lived." Julia Cameron, author, The Artist's Way

"This is a spare and gentle and passionate book, written with much heart and great feelings of love." John Nichols, author, The Milagro Beanfield War

"If you dare to nourish yourself with a woman's truth, the colors of solitude, and Nature's randy humor, grab this book, take it home, and go to bed with it. I guarantee satisfaction!" Susun Weed, author, Healing Wise and Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way.

"Christina's achingly beautiful descriptions bring the Sangre de Cristo landscape to life. Her knife-edged imagery cuts through pretension ad emotional detachment, leading us into a sumptuous, sometimes violent wilderness." Stephen R. Jones, author, The Shortgrass Prairie.

And then, the book ...

"I have lived here, alone, for four years. There was no plan, only the instinct to create. After twenty years of girlfriend, wife, mother, teacher, and psychotherapist, my mind headed me toward a PhD in philosophy. My body plopped me here instead, for a different kind of learning."

"Candlelight and glass ring my bed. The only sound is simmering water on top of the woodstove in the next room, which casts damp into the dry, cold air of the cabin. I sit on the bed where I write, and look out the window into black. No hint of dawn. Only ebony, from which anything could rise, seep, and surround my small body."

Some Articles

Eons In The Palm Of My Hand

The Kilimanjaro Hospice Initiative – Hope on Shining Mountain

Crossroads in the Sand

In wilderness, don't phone home

Regalo de Mabel Dodge Luhan

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Note: text and all photos other than book covers © 2008, 2008, 2010 by Christina Nealson, all rights reserved

Last Updated 20 June 2010